Key-retainer.



l. G. LANNOYE.

KEY RETAINER. APPLICATION FILED IUNEIB. 1915.

8M JOSEPH G. LANNOYE Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

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ami/hum JOSEPH G. LANNOYE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

KEY-RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed June 18, 1915. Serial No. 34,769.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. LANNOYE, a'citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of l Vayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Key-Retainers, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will'enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to key-retainers for retaining the key in a door lock and to prevent turning or removal thereof .from the outside of thedoor.

The primary object of the invention is a key retainer of simple and cheap form preferably made of a single integral-piece of spring metalhaving one end so formed as to spring over the spindle of the door knob to firmly hold the device in place, and having a shank of a double strand or loop portion for insertion through the eye of the key.

These and other objects and the novel feature of construction are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a perspective view showing my improved key retainer in position assumed in use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the retainer. Fig. 3 is an edge view thereof showing the spring loop portion at the upper end formed in V shape to spring or snap over the spindle of the door knob. Fig. 4 is a View showing an alternative arrangement of the upper spring loop portions.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawin and specification.

The fastener is preferably made of a single piece of spring wire bent at the center to form a tongue or shank 1, both legs of the loop lying in the same plane and preferable a slight distance apart as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The two ends of the wire extend upwardly substantially a half tongue, each forming substantially a half loop 2 and 3, the open portions of which face in opposite directions and are bent at an angle to the shank to form a V as shown in Figs. 3 or 4. The loop formed by the two portions is of sufficient size to engage over the spindle of the knob as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the upper portion of each loop is preferably provided with a secondary loop portion a and 5, terminating in an end 6 extending parallel with the loop portion of the other end of the wire. The two secondary loops 4 and 5 provide a means by which the two main loop portions may be readily spread by the thumb and finger of the operator.-

In placing the device in position on a door knob, the tongue or loop portion 1 is first inserted through the eye of the key 6, with the loop ends 2 and 3 below the spindle 7 of the knob. The device is then raised in relation to the spindle, with the two loop portions 2 and 3 in position to pass on opposite sides of the spindle as indicated in Fig. 3, and by forcing upward on the retainer, these loop portions are spread and the ends 6 of the wire may be turned over the top of the spindle in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The retainer thus occupies a position in a plane at right angles to the plane shown in Fig. 3. The device being formed of spring material it may be readily pushed over the spindle of the knob and is securely held in place, as the ends 6 of the wire overlap over the top ofthe spindle. lVith the form shown in Fig. 4, the V formed by the loops is not ofso great a width as in Fig. 3 but the device is equally serviceable with either form shown.

With the device in position as shown in Fig. 1, it is impossible to turn the key sufficiently to enable it to be forced out of the lock, especially from the exterior of the door, but to a person on the inside, pressure upon the loops 4 and 5 to part the same will enable the two ends to be sprung sufficiently apart to be withdrawn from the spindle of the knob and the tongue then withdrawn from the eye of the key whereupon the key may be manipulated in the usual manner.

The loop formed at the upper end of the device by the two bent ends 2 and '3 is somewhat longer than the diameter of the spindle 7 about which it is to be positioned. This enables the device to assume an angular position as shown in Fig. 1, in which the eye of the key is nearly beneath the knob. WVith keys of greater length the shank 1 should be bent as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereby the device may be arranged for use with keys of various lengths genirally in use.

Although I have shown the device as preferably formed of spring wire, other forms of spring metal may be utilized without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus briefly described my invention what I claim is V I 1. As an article of manufacture, a key retainer consisting of. a single piece of spring material provided with a shank adapted for insertion through the eye of a key, the two ends being bent and spaced apart providing a' loop that may be spread by engagement with the spindle of a door-knob. v

2. As an article of manufacture, a key-retainer consisting of a single piece of wire bent double substantially at the center forming a shank with two spaced, parallel legs,

for insertion through the eye of the key, the two ends being similarly bent to form a loop for engagement over the spindle of a knob.

3. As an article of manufacture, a key-retainer consisting of a single piece of spring wire bent double substantially at the center forming a shank with two spaced, parallel legs for insertion through the eye of a key, the two ends being similarly bent in substantially semi-circular form with the ends overlapping forming a closed loop, the two ends being in angular relation whereby the said loop end may be readily sprung over the spindle of a door knob. 4. As an article of manufacture, a keyretainer consisting of a single piece of spring wire bent double substantially at the center forming a shank, with two parallel legs adapted for insertion through the eye of a key, the two ends being similarly bent in substantially semi-circular form with the ends overlapping forming a closed loop, each overlapping part being formed with an up- 'wardly extending loop portion in angular tially semi-circular form with the ends overlapping forming a closed loop, the two ends being in angular relation whereby the loop may be readily sprung over the spindle, of

a door knob and the loop being greater in length than the diameter of the spindle, whereby the shank may lie at an angle to the perpendicular when in position in use substantially as described.

6. As an article of manufacture, a key retainer consisting of a single piece of spring material bent double substantially at the center forming a shank adapted for insertion through the eye of a key, the two ends being substantially of the same length and bent to form a yieldable' loop portion that may be forced into position about the spindle of the door-knob by endwise movement of the retainer in a direction at a right an: gle to the axis of the spindle.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

JOSEPH G. LANNOYE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. 7 Washington, D. C, a 

